Chlorinated tap water linked to food allergies

Researchers claim to have found chlorine to be one of the causes in rising numbers of people with food allergies.

chlorine in water bad for healthChlorine is a chemical element with the highest electron affinity and it has the third highest electronegativity of all the elements. For this reason, chlorine is a strong oxidizing agent.

It is a highly efficient disinfectant added to public water supplies to kill disease-causing bacteria that the water or its transport pipes might contain, this according to

According to Mail Online over the years Britain alone has seen a rise in food allergies in recent years, with up to ten million adults claiming to be unable to eat a variety of food from milk to mustard.

The research also found high levels of dichlorophenol in adults’ urine which are said to have 80% more likely to have food allergy, Daily Mail Online reported.

Professor Jeni Colbourne, the chief inspector of drinking water told Daily Mail that dichlorophenol was unlikely to be found in tap water.

“Excessive use of dichlorophenols may contribute to the increasing incidence of food allergies in Westernised societies,” the study concluded.

“Previous studies have shown that both food allergies and environmental pollution are increasing in the US. Our study suggests these two trends might be linked, and that increased use of pesticides and other chemicals is associated with a higher prevalence of food allergies,” lead author Dr. Elina Jerschow said.

However, despite this Colbourne maintained that: “Currently in the UK consumer, exposure to dichlorophenol via tap water is considered to be minimal.

“In the US generally chlorination is known to be less well controlled and relatively high doses of chlorine are used, so it would be reasonable to consider the risk of exposure to be generally higher”.

According to dichlorophenols are any of several chemical compounds which are derivatives of phenol containing two chlorine atoms.

Source: The New Age

Chlorine in municipal water has been linked to a number of other health risks, with many scientists recommending that municipal drinking water be filtered.  Chlorinated water when showering (especially hot showers where some water is turned to vapour) has been documented to be absorbed through the skin and lungs.  The degree of negative health effects of chlorinated water is controversial but the fact is that it is a foreign chemical that the body must rid itself of.  Anybody accustomed to showering or bathing in borehole- or rainwater will immediately be aware of the unpleasant smell of chlorinated town water.  Rainwater is very soft and is probably the best water to wash in.  Apart from rainwater being healthier (and more pleasant) to bathe in, harvesting rain water reduces water bills and ensures a degree of water independence (important in many South African towns where municipal water supply is unreliable and of dubious quality).  Install a rain water tank or a series of rainwater tanks and see the difference to your skin…and your water bill.  Click on the links below to find your ideal JoJo water tank, JoJo rainwater tank, JoJo tank stand or other JoJo Tanks product.







